In pictures: Cycling underpass at Dubai’s Al Qudra designated as Houbara Tunnel

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the cycling underpass at Seih Assalam Road in Al Qudra, near the last exit at Al Qudra, has been designated as Houbara Tunnel,

The designation of the underpass highlights the special status that houbara bustards have in Emirati culture and its environment. In a touching gesture that reflected His Highness’s concern for the wellbeing of humans and animals alike, Sheikh Mohammed, during a tour of construction works in 2017, had directed rerouting the cycling underpass at Seih Assalam Road to avoid disturbing the nesting settlement of houbara bustards in the area.

The construction of the Houbara Tunnel also highlights another Dubai achievement – the creation of an extensive cycling track network built as part of its efforts to become one of the world’s most cycling-friendly cities

An important element of the cycling track at Seih Assalam and Al Qudra Road, the new underpass facilitates free movement of cyclists in both directions under Seih Assalam Road and links the cycling track parallel to Seih Assalam Road with the cycling track parallel to Al Qudra Road. The underpass has been constructed according to the highest technical and traffic standards to ensure the safety of bikers

Cyclists emerge from the newly named Houbara Tunnel.

The houbara bustard is an integral part of Emirati culture and heritage. The UAE’s Founding Father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was the first to notice in 1970 that the population of the houbara was declining rapidly and proposed a breeding programme to prevent the extinction of the houbara across territories of distribution from Morocco to China.

The track features public amenities, bike-rental outlets, cycling gear and a fully equipped medical clinic.

“The Houbara Tunnel constitutes part of the 135 km-long Al Qudra cycling track, one of the most important cycling tracks in Dubai. Serving Seih Assalam, Al Qudra, Global Village, and Al Barari communities, the new path provides opportunities to cycle in Dubai’s natural environment.

The total length of cycling tracks constructed in Dubai is 425 km as of 2020 end. RTA plans to build more cycling tracks that will increase the length of the network to 668 km by 2025.

By constructing new cycling tracks, RTA aims to link Dubai’s hotspots with various mass transit stations.

The expansion in the cycling track network supports the Dubai 2021 vision to make the city the most preferred and safest destination for lifestyle, tourism and business.